Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-09-24
Burglary and Arson.

fessional crooks to burglarize the office
of Alexander & Smith, livery men OF
this city, which excitement was materi-
ally heightened an hour afterward by
an attempt, supposed to have been made
by the same parties, to burn the town.
| The robbers entered the Office OF
Alexander & Smith about o'clock from
the rear, and finding no one In at the
| time, proceeded to ransack the room in
their search for booty; but Mr.. Alex
ander happening to appear upon the
scene at the auspicious moment when
they were removing drawer contain
ing considerable sum Of money, they
became frightened and dropped the
drawer upon the floor, and hurriedly
departed, fairly running over Mr.. A. in
their exit through the rear door, which
they had propped open in order to
make it more convenient as an avenue
of escape in case of surprise. The
contents Of the drawer were scattered
upon the floor, which, upon being
counted, was found to be intact, the
robbers having failed to get away with
any portion Of it. The news of the at
tempted robbery, being the first trans
piring in this place for years, spread
rapidly through the town, and was
everywhere theme for discussion. The
city marshal (who is also nightwatch-
mani was on the alert trying to run
down the robbers, and a number of
citizens, prompted by anxiety for their
apprehension, were aiding in the search
About 8 o'clock, one hour after the at
tempted robbery, an alarm Of fire was
given, which greatly augmented tie
degree Of excitement which now be-
came general, as it was very soon
determined that an incendiary attempt
had been made to fire the city. The
location of the fire, which was fortunate
ly discovered by Mr.. w. Ward, before
| 1t had done any damage, was in mar
row space between the Cattle Exchange
saloon and Booths hall on Custer
| Avenue, in the very heart of the busi-
| ness part Of the city. The sides of the
building, and the accumulated debris
was well saturated with coal oil, which
| would have insured the burning of the
block, if not the entire town. had it not
been discovered for ten minutes later:
as it would by that time have made
such progress as to have placed it be-
yond control, with the limited facilities
at hand for its extinguishment. That
| the attempt to burn the town was made
| by the same parties who had made the
raid on the office at the livery barn an
| hour before was universally entertained,
and their apprehension was now a
| matter Of the deepest concern; as the
danger of their repeating their attempt
| to fire the town in some other locality
during the night was greatly feared. 1t
was finely determined to put on night
patrol, which was accordingly done.
The patrol comprised fourteen men,
| well armed and stationed upon the
different streets and alleys in the busi-
ness portion of the city, with instruc
tions to halt all persons approaching
their posts, and demand given counter
sign, which resulted in holding up a
number Of anxious residents, who,
ignorant of the existence Of the patrol,
were doing little guard duty on their
own account. AT half past two O'Clock,
two persons were dimly seen on Sixth
street, near Custer avenue, by Taylor
Ellis and Ed Cammel, who were station
ed in that locality, who upon close
approach were found to he strangers,
and were held up for parley. Failing
to give any plausible reason for their
presence in that locality at SO unseemly
an hour, they were taken in and search
ed; the search resulting in finding upon
their persons many Of the devices used
by modern crooks in plying their ne
| farious avocations.
| Among other articles found in their
possession were about three dozen keys
of various sizes and patterns, two steel
cold-chisels, one slungshot, several
knives of various patterns, and number
of files peculiarly adapted to the bur,
glars use.
They were placed in the steel cei
until the following day, when they were
brought before Justice Flynn for q
hearing, where their testimony was
more damaging to their case than the
evidence presented by the prosecution
The culprits were kept seperate from
the time of their capture, in order to
prevent an understanding between
them as to what their testimony should
be, and the result was, their evidence
was of the most conflicting character
One Of them testified to their having
come directly from Scranton. Pa, while
the other, ignorant of what his pal had
sworn to. said he came from Nebraska
and had never even heard Of such 6
place as Scranton. One Of them, in
answer to the question, where did yor
get all these keys? ?" said they belonged
to his parents in Ireland, and had beer
kept as heir looms in the family for 6